The White and Red Flowers
by Darkconfidantsconfidant
Summary: A sudden resurgence of human emotion in him stuns Kabuto. Meanwhile, stinging from Sasuke's defection from Konoha, Sakura seeks out someone to take Sasuke's place. Rated for graphic scenes in later chapters.
1. Revelations

**Legal Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just this plot. And neither do you, all you aspiring fanfic writers out there.**

Normal writing is ordinary talking

_Italicized_ _writing is a character thinking _

Some of what I say may conflict with the original Naruto story, because this is MY plot.

There WILL be more talking in coming chapters. I promise, because there will be MULTIPLE characters.

Chapter 1

Alone in the Dark

Kabuto lay awake in bed, thinking. He could hear the pitter-patter of rain against the window. Sighing, he got up and walked over to the window and looked at the darkness that blanketed the Village Hidden in Sound. He placed his hand against the cold glass, still deep in thought. Ever since he was a child, he'd been a servant to Orochimaru. More than a servant, he corrected himself, his personal assistant.

_As if that was any better_.

Kabuto had been sent into Konoha as a spy when he had been just a small child. Using a battle as a cover-up, with him _conveniently_ being a survivor, a Konoha jounin had taken him in, mistaking him for an innocent child. From that day forward, he'd been a spy in enemy territory. For years, he gathered information for Orochimaru, under the guise of being an average ninja. In actuality, however, he was a talented ninja, who used medical jutsu and tools as his primary mode of attack.

His eyes fixed on a group of children on the sidewalk below his room on the second story of the building. There were 2 boys and 1 girl. He was reminded of the 3 ninja he had befriended during the Chunin Exam.

_Just another one of my undercover missions_

After that event, things had gone by rather quickly for him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes as he thought about it. The invasion…. the successful attempts to capture Uchiha Sasuke…things were going to fast for Kabuto. His thoughts returned to the Chunin Exam, and the 3 he had supposedly "befriended", though he hadn; Sasuke…the one Orochimaru so desperately wanted, who, in fact, was unconscious in the room next to Kabuto's. Using some technique, Orochimaru had made him fall asleep. And he would remain asleep until made to do so. Naruto…the blonde headed joker. Always yelled at for goofing off, Kabuto had liked his carefree and excitable attitude. And, finally, Sakura…the pink haired, Sasuke-obsessed girl.

_Hmmm…Sakura_ he mused. He remembered her quite clearly, _her soft, pink hair…that almost everlasting smile on her face…that cute red dress… _

Kabuto recoiled away from the window in horror.

"What am I thinking?!" he breathed, eyes wide in shock. But he found that he could not push her out of his mind. Ever since the Chunin Exam, she had invaded his thoughts every now and then, sure, but he had never thought anything of it. He had never thought of _her_, as she was. He was sure that it had previously been just some small misgiving for helping Orochimaru take Sasuke away from her. Kabuto opened the window, letting a slight rain into the room.

"Is this what it's like…to….want someone?" he said to the night sky. He may have been a spy, but he was still human, with human thoughts and human feelings. However, this was going MUCH too fast for him. He had only been around her for the equivalent of a day…

_Not like…Orochimaru, the pitiless bastard who would do anything to obtain what he wanted. What would my life have been like if I WASN'T his servant?_ he found himself wondering. As it was… he had not true "friends" only "allies". Neither could he pursue a true relationship…if it looked like he was, it was just another part of his job as a spy.

_And all this because of Orochimaru_. Kabuto found himself angry, though why, he could not place. Sakura came back into his mind, and his eye twitched. He pushed at his glasses: a perpetual habit of his.

_Let's think this through rationally _he told himself, _well…I'll admit that I think she's…attractive. But she's younger than me by what? 2? 3? years?_ Again, he recoiled, but this time, in surprise. This was the first time he had come to face this admission, and he was a bit unsure how to approach it.

_Well, it's not like I LOVE her or anything, you have to know someone personally for that to happen._ He looked down at the sidewalk again, and saw the three children walking away, arms in arms.

Then, another feeling hit him. A feeling that, suppressed for so long, almost brought him to his knees in sadness. He gasped for breath, and a tear made its way down his cheek. It was the feeling…of loneliness.


	2. Escape

Legal Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters.

Though I got very little reviews, Chapter 2 is here!!!

READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE!!!

Ch. 2- Escape

Part1

Kabuto knew what he had to do, The thought had lingered in his mind for a while now, but his recent revelations brought it to the surface. He had to escape.

Escape, from Orochimaru.

Escape, from his life full of deceit and trickery.

Escape, from this figurative "prison" he was in.

Escape…from Orochimaru's once "glorious way of thinking".

All because of Sakura. _No_, he corrected himself, his newfound _feelings_ for Sakura.

_But I can think about that later, right now, I have to escape._ Kabuto got up off the floor. First, he needed to think this through. Well, first off, he needed to get out of here. _Easy enough_, he thought at first. The hard part was putting enough distance between himself and Orochimaru, who wouldn't be too happy about this.

_Where can I go?_, he mused, _somewhere where Orochimaru wouldn't think to look for me…_ He paced back and forth around his bed, thinking of every place possible. _Land of Waves….no, too weak…join up with Akatsuki as a spy again… no I left them to side with Orochimaru, they'd just kill me…_

Then, he had an idea: _Konoha! He'd never expect find me there. But, there is the question of WHY they would let me in, after I betrayed them. If I can convince them that I'm no longer an enemy…Hmmmm… Saskuke knows a LOT of Orochimaru's plans, some that even I don't know, even being his right hand man…And after all…he's just under the influence of some genjutsu…"_ Thinking that, Kabuto began packing his things, lightly, for he needed to travel FAST.

Part 2

Done packing, Kabuto crept into the dark room Saskuke was being kept in, down at the end of the dimly lit hallway and cut his bonds. Whatever genjutsu was on him, would keep him asleep. Suddenly, Kabuto heard a creaking sound, like a squeaky floorboard being subject to unused-to weight. His entire body stiffened, if Orochimaru saw him doing this, he would be killed. Kabuto stood with his back to the doorway, not daring to move, knowing that at any second something could come out of that foreboding light, which barely shown past where he stood, and kill him. For what seemed like an eternity of waiting, knowing that if he blinked, he may very well never get a chance to raise an eyelid, Kabuto waited. The hooting of an owl outside made him jump. When he regained his composure, he decided he was just being paranoid and looked behind himself. Kabuto saw nothing but an empty hallway. Apparently satisfied, Kabuto slung the young Uchiha over his shoulder and shouldered his pack with the other. Sasuke's weight appeared to not be a burden to Kabuto as he walked down the stairs and opened the front door. The rain-soaked night seemed to him a never-ending abyss, with faint the faint street lights glowering at him like wolves on a hunt.

He stepped outside, into the rain and, after a moment of orienting himself, began walking toward the city gates. He had only taken a few steps when he found the 3 children again. The girl was lying on the ground and the 2 boys were looking down at her, appearing to be crying.

"What are you kids doing out here? You'll catch your death of cold!" Kabuto said as he walked up to them.

"Mister! My friend slipped in the rain and hurt herself! She's not moving! Oh, please, please! Do something!!!!!" wailed one of the boys, a blonde.

"Oh, alright," said Kabuto as he put the Uchiha and his pack onto the ground, careful to not let the children see Sasuke. Kabuto knelt by the girl, who was bleeding from her head. Kabuto made a few hand signs, and his hands glowed a bright blue. The 2 boys watched, awestruck, as he placed his hand on the girls' forehead. After a while, the girls eyes fluttered open, and Kabuto withdrew his hand.

"I'll let you boys explain to her what just happened, get out of the rain now," Kabuto smiled. He picked up his belongings and Sasuke and turned to leave.

"W-Wow! Will she be alright?! A-and…are you a ninja?!" called the other boy, a raven haired male, slightly taller than his 2 friends.

Kabuto turned around under a streetlight, which cast light all about him, making him appear the children as an angel, "Yes, she will be alright, just get yourselves out of this rain. And, yes, I am a ninja." He smiled," Maybe I'll come back here someday, but for now I'm on an adventure. You kids take care of yourselves, now."

"Wait! One last thing!," yelled the blonde haired boy," Who are you?! I'm Ral, this is Maki, and Val!" he yelled, pointing first at the raven hair, then the little girl.

"My name…is Kabuto. You can do me a favor by not telling the other man inside that house(pointing to the building he had just come from) that you saw me"

"Ok! We promise we won't!" all 3 children yelled together.

With that, Kabuto pushed his glasses up, and resumed walking away. The children would never forgot that white-haired stranger, who had come, and so casually, saved their friend, but, they never saw him again.

End Chapter 2

Well, well, well, how was that? Review, please!


	3. A New Day

Chapter 3- A New Day

A/N: I'm back from the grave! I'm sorry it took so long to update (3 whole months!!!), but I've been buried in school work and have had perpetual writer's block due to a fairly bad English/Lit teacher(No offense to her, but I just don't agree with your style of teaching). And Sakura finally appears! Yay! From this point onward, the POV(well, not really First-Person, but sort of focusing on them) will shift back and forth between the two whenever I think the plot would benefit from it. Also, I felt I needed to do something early on to earn this story its "M" rating. So I did.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters. Nor do I own Valkyrie Profile or its characters, to which a reference is made to here. But I DO own 2 or 3 Pink Rathian Rubies!(Anyone who can name the reference gets a cookie).

Normal is stuff happening

_Italicized_ is thinking

"In quotes" is talking

(In parentheses) is author's notes or explanations

Also, note that I am omitting the Japanese titles of respect and endearment.

(Subsequent author's notes will be shorter than this)

Part 1

After his fateful meeting with the children, Kabuto's walk through the darkened city was not interrupted by any further encounters. As he journeyed through night's forboding streets, he noted that the farther south he went, the dimmer the streetlights were as a whole. Some stretches of sidewalk were void of any light at all. Combined with that particular section of town's rundown appearance, it seemed to him that this district had just come out of an epic battle, and he didn't like the eerie feeling it radiated.

As a spy of Orochimaru, Kabuto had learned to seal his heart and steel mind from any feelings or emotions that would get in the way of his mission. However, that was not to say he had mastered it to perfection: Orochimaru, as well as he himself, knew that Kabuto had a sadistic bad side, an ego apart from his normal, calm, collected, and calculating self. It seemed an entirely different state to those that had witnessed it and lived- there were not many. It happened when his emotions started running wild and his "old blood" came to the surface… Kabuto shook his head.

_Let's not think about that now_

Still, he couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of his "other self". In hindsight, he reminded himself of a character in a book that he had read: Lezard Valeth. The illustrator's drawing of the character even looked a little bit like Kabuto.

_Yes, but Lezard was a sadistic stalker ALL of the time…And if I remember the plot of that book correctly, he had been pursuing a Goddess named Lenneth._

Kabuto couldn't help but travel onto another thought, one he didn't know if he liked…

_Ah…he even loved someone far out of his reach…as do I_

This thought turned his mind to images of Sakura: her silky pink hair, her smooth, pale skin, and those emerald eyes… The soft drizzle on his skin felt almost exactly what he thought her touch would feel like, and he closed his eyes, lost in dreamland.

His reverie was broken when the rain's touch receded from his, and he opened his eyes to find himself at the South gate.

_Well, that was very uncharismatic of me. All these thoughts of Sakura…they're it's like they're bringing out another side of me. A carefreeness that's been bottled up over the years._

Suffice to say, the icy layer over Kabuto's heart(not in the way of Neji or Sasuke's, I really don't know how to explain it here) melted, and he felt like a free bird.

_Though, I'm not in the clear yet_ he reminded himself _I've still got a long way to go_

He hoisted the unconscious Sasuke a little higher onto his shoulder and opened the small door built into the gate. Staring out, it reminded him of looking out of the house. It was pitch black out of the city, darkness clouding all detail.

_Just like my future right now…_he thought, and walked through the doorway.

**A little while later**

A safe distance from the city, and on top of a small, wooded hill, Kabuto gazed back for one last look at it. It looked so peaceful, with a soft rain gently caressing the buildings and streets.

Kabuto smiled, not his usually sadistic one, nor a fake one like on a mission, but a genuine smile of happiness. It was time to start a new life, away from that half-life of being Orochimaru's servant.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses and continued walking, the city soon lost to sight among the tree branches.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Part 2

Midmorning's light shown through the window of a small, modest house in Konoha. The very edge of its reach gently caressed a smalls sleeping form, and apparently aware of it, the late sleeper stirred.

Haruno Sakura opened her eyes, sat up in bed, and stretched, yawning.

_Ahh…what a good night's sleep_

And that it had been: she had had the most wonderful dream that night. She had dreamed that that guy of her dreams had swept her up and…her face took on a peaceful tone, lost deep in thought.Well, not that she didn't always fantasize about that.

She had already gotten over Sasuke, that much was for sure. After all he had put her through, who could blame her? The way she looked at it, he was nothing but a boatload of emotional hurt and abuse for her. Not that he wasn't good looking, which was part of the reason she had originally fallen in love with him, though it was his personality that eventually drove her away.

She thought of Sasuke's face, and her face once more acquired that thoughtful look. She began thinking of what his torso might look like: well muscled…oh how she would love to hold it to herself…has arms…nice and sinewy, it would be heaven to have those around her. At these thoughts, her hand lazily dropped to her waist…and went a bit lower. Thoughts of Sasuke running through her head, she began fingering herself, caught up in the feeling of the moment.

She hastily took off her nightgown and slid her panties down to her ankles. As an afterthought, she unclasped her bra and threw that off, too. She had never masturbated before, her friends had told her all about it, but Sakura was just too shy to do it. Caught up in the moment however…was a different story. She teased herself first by running her finger on and along her slit(her friends had told her the best way to do it), and she closed her eyes already gasping with pleasure. "Oh…Sasuke! Yes! Yes!" she moaned. Deciding to go further, she inserted two fingers of her right hand into her vagina, thrusting about inside, working herself even harder. "Oh…ah!…Ah! Ah!! Oh,yes! That feels so good!" Her legs left the bed and hung suspended in the air, Sakura was unable to control them in the onrush of pleasure. She then inserted a third finger and pushed in further, making herself moan and scream with delight. A warm feeling began building up inside of her, and she could feel her fingers getting wet. Her friends told her what was going to happen next. She increased her pace, finding a rhythm that matched her own moans for pleasure. The warm feeling grew, and Sakura could feel that "thing" coming, oh, what did her friends call it again…? Her fingers brushed against a small nub, and all rational thought was driven from her mind as quakes of pleasure were sent through her body.(She hadn't reached it yet. I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about here) She stopped for a second, and touched the small nub again hesitantly. Another quake of raw pleasure went through her body like fire. Still being an amateur at this, she decided to leave it be, in case it was something bad, though it felt sooooo good. Suddenly, a feeling of regret came over her, and she stopped.

_What am I doing?! _

_This…feels…so…WRONG. What do my friends get out of this?_

She had just been caught up in the heat of the moment, and she got dressed again.

_I have to get to work by 10:00 anyway...what time is it...?_

She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It read 9:50.

"OH MY GOD!!!" she screamed "I'm going to be late for work! I only have ten minutes to get there! Tsunade is going to kill me!!!!"

Hurriedly, she all but ripped off her night gown and almost dived into her closet. She pulled out her standard red dress, and slipped it on. Dashing out of her bedroom, she ran into the kitchen, grabbed two slices of bread and a slice of cheese and decided to make breakfast on the way there. Running out of the kitchen she spotted her purse hanging on a hook and grabbed, though she forgot to lift, which tore the hook from the wall, leaving a small hole.

_Damn, I'll have to fix that later! I'M GONNA BE LATE!!!_

In a mad dash for the door, one could swear that she had broken every speed record to date, pink and red comet, streaking about. About to reach the door, a thought caught her in midstride.

_It's Saturday_

The revelation of this caught her off guard, and she hit the door. At full speed.

Author's Minute- Well, how was my returning work?

How did you like Sakura's little scene? Good? Bad? REVIEW!!!!

Updates will come faster, as school has finished up for me. Well, till next time! Ciao!


	4. Unwanted News

Chapter 4- Unwanted News

Author's Note: I AM SO SORRY THAT I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE!! I had a little... drama over the summer(that continued on until mid-February. First romance of my life, lol) and never got around to writing Chapter 4. Then the school year rolled around and I got flattened by the workload. So, once again, I apologize. ENJOY!!

Normal is stuff happening  
_Italicized_ is thinking  
"In quotes" is talking  
(In parentheses) is author's notes or explanations  
Also, note that I am omitting the Japanese titles of respect and endearment.

This chapter was written under the influence of Avenged Sevenfold, Atmosphere, and Blackmore's Night.  
Dedicated to: My friend Heidi, who helped me through the aftermath of the romance stated above. 

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. ****If I claimed to, Kishimoto's lawyers would go Phoenix Wright on my ass.**  
On with the story!! 

* * *

**Chapter 4**

(NOTE: This is probably the only time in the story that I will focus on another character. It just seemed more interesting to do it this way. The rest of the story's sections will be on Kabuto, Sakura, or both.)

Ino Yamanaka was a busy woman. The widely considered Konoha's top gossiper, she was always on top of the latest who was with who or who did what. In fact, as she walked along the path to her friend Sakura's house, she tossed around possible couples and thoughts of hot guys in her platinum blonde haired head. 

_Sakura really needs to find someone new_ thought Ino _she never really got over Sasuke... And that's just hurting her now_. 

Ino, as well as the rest of the village, was concerned for Sakura's emotional health after Sasuke had abruptly left Konoha. She had been so smitten with him that his sudden departure had sent her into depression. She had barricaded herself in her house and turned away all that had come to visit her. Tsunade had forced her to take sick leave from her medic duties and out of Konoha missions- she couldn't have had Sakura working in that state of health. She had gotten over it after a couple weeks, but during that time, she had a dark blemish on the usually joyous village of Konoha.

_I'll help her find a guy..._ resolved Ino as she found herself at Sakura's front gate _Kami knows she needs one._

Ino made her way through along the path to Sakura's front door; Sakura had a large front yard with a fairly well taken care of garden. Ino grabbed an apple from a low hanging branch as she passed and took a bite out of it.

_Perfect timing. It's ripe._ Ino thought with satisfaction as she eyed the crimson fruit, still glistening with the morning dew. She tossed the half-eaten red delicious offhandedly into the bushes as she neared the front door. As she prepared to knock on the door, she heard a dull, loud thud on the other side of the door.

* * *

Sakura lifted her head off the floor.

"Unnnn...owww..." she groaned, rubbing her now aching forhead. 

_I have GOT to pay more attention..._

The sound of the door opening managed to make its way into her pain-ridden head. Looking up, she was greeted by the sight of her best friend Ino giving her an incredulous look. From Sakura's point of view, what had happened took several moments to register in Ino's mind, as the platinum blonde suddenly burst out laughing. Then again, seeing Sakura in a heap on the floor, apparently having run into the 

door, would be cause enough for anyone to laugh. Well, it applied to Ino, anyway. Finally realizing the proper thing to do, Ino held her hand out and helped Sakura up. Sakura scowled at Ino's laughing at her accident; but she had to admit it was a little funny in retrospect. 

Ino helped Sakura dust herself off and they began to walk to the mall where they had planned to spend the day shopping. They walked the first five minutes in silence, Ino trying to mentally figure out a way to bring up the subject of guys and Sakura staring at the road. People passed on either side of them and the general hustle and bustle of Konoha waking The silence was getting to be boring to the blonde gossiper who was so used to constant chatter when Sakura finally broke the monotonous quiet.

"Hey, umm...Ino... I did that...thing you guys do" Sakura stammered out while making a circling motion with her middle finger over her crotch. 

"REALLY SAKURA!?" Ino practically yelled. She didn't think Sakura would ever get the guts to do it. "How'd it feel? And who were you thinking about?"

Sakura cringed at Ino's questions. "Umm...I didn't really go all the way...I was thinking about Sasuke though..."

_Yup. I was right. No guts_. Thought Ino. Then it dawned on her. _Wait, Sasuke? Oh, no. She's thinking about him again..._

"Well, I knew you'd get scared about it." Ino said with a sly smile and a clearly condescending voice.

"It just feels so...so...wrong..." Sakura attempted to defend herself, averting her eyes downward, "I don't really see why you guys like doing it."

"Oh, you'll figure it out sooner or later" replied Ino, then realized she didn't even know why she did it herself. She then changed the subject. 

"So, you've been thinking about Sasu-!" Ino began but was interrupted when a large mass knocked both of the girls down.

"WHAT THE-?!" Ino yelled, looking up to see Uzumaki Naruto down sheepishly at the female pair. 

"S-sorry!" he managed to stammer out, "but have you two heard the news? They found a stranger at the main gates!"

"Yeah, so? Just another guy..." Sakura replied as she and Ino picked themselves up. 

"Yeah, but he was with SASUKE!!" Naruto yelled, pointing off in the distance, "They were taken to Granny Tsunade!"

As soon as the words left Naruto's mouth, Ino knew that this was bad news. She glanced sideways at Sakura and saw the pink haired kunoichi's jade eyes open wide before she dashed off in the direction of the Hokage's house.

To be continued... 

* * *

Well, how was my returning work? I put a little suspense there at the end just for you guys! 

What happens next? Well, you'll find out next chapter!

Don't forget to review!

I promise I'll update faster now!

Until then, bye!


	5. Crossroads

Chapter 5- Crossroads

Author's Note: Yeah, sorry again. I'be been busy. Well, I didn't want to disappoint the... 16 subscribers to this story by making them wait even longer, so I decided to just sit down and write this chapter. I've been sifting it around in my head for long enough, and it's time this story got updated anyway.

Normal is stuff happening  
**Bold **is Inner Sakura  
_Italicized_ is thinking(or emphasis)  
"In quotes" is talking  
(In parentheses) is author's notes or explanations  
Also, note that I am omitting the Japanese titles of respect and endearment.

This chapter was written under the cumulative influences of Atmosphere, Sage Francis, Jedi Mind Tricks, MF Doom, Grayskul, Fort Minor, Blackmore's Night, Lifehouse, and Avenged Sevenfold.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and neither do any of you(unless you happen to be Kishimoto. If so, Hi).  
**

(Reminder: This story takes place after Sasuke goes off with Orochimaru. However, in my version, Orichimaru had kidnapped Sasuke.)

Now then, ON WITH THE STORY!!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Sakura dashed across the city like a runaway rose-colored missile, with one thought reverberating throughout her entire being.

_Sasuke's back?!_

"Dammit, Naruto!" Ino admonished, smacking the blonde upside the head, "How about you _think_ before you go shouting something like that out?!"

The blonde ninja looked back with the quizzical, innocent look of someone who knew that he was in trouble, but had no idea as to the reason. Ino picked up on this rather quickly.

"Are you that dense?" she sighed, "Of _course_ she's going to go apeshit when she hears that!"

Naruto silently mouthed an "Oh" and grinned sheepishly.

Ino just rolled her eyes and dashed after Sakura, but eventually lost sight of her and gave up.

* * *

As Ino had predicted, Sakura's mind was, indeed, going apeshit.

_He's back?! Did they rescue him?! Oh wait, Naruto said something about some strange guy. Oh screw it the important thing is that he's back. _

**Yay! Now we can stare at him instead of his pictures! **Inner Sakura suddenly yelled.

_What?! No! I'm totally over him!_

**Right... so why are we running so fast then?**

_Because... uhh... I still care about him... in a friend sort of way! Is there anything wrong with that?!_

**Right... do you have any idea how lame you sound?**

_Oh, shut up! This is serious!_ Sakura mentally chided her inner self as she approached Hokage tower. Without slowing down, she ran right through the doors, cringing as she heard them dent the walls. She dashed up the flights of stairs up to the very top floor and threw open the doors to Tsunade's office.

* * *

"Oh, Sakura," the busty blond Hokage sighed, "I expected you'd come running up here."

Kakashi, who also happened to be in the room, started banging his head against the wall and muttering to himself. Sakura raised an eyebrow in question.

"Oh, don't mind him," Tsunade chuckled, "I bet him you'd be up here in less than 10 minutes."

At this, Sakura's cheeks became tinted a slight shade of pink.

Sakura then noticed the two other people in the room, who both looked decidedly the worse for wear. Her eyes, heart, mind, inner consciousness, and, well, every other part of her immediately recognized the raven-haired Uchiha.

_Sasuke! It really is him!_

Noticing her stre, Sasuke turned to look toward her. Sakura's heart skipped a beat, but she the calm composure on her face remained.

_Told you I was over him._

**Hm?**

_I'm not drooling._

**That's true. Would you mind holding this stare for a bit longer?**

Sakura shook her head, wondering why her inner self had chosen _now_ to start talking. Maybe she was going insane.

Her eyes then moved to the man next to him. A tall, decidedly handsome, slender, silver-haired male stood rigidly next to Sasuke. Sakura's eyes furrowed for a second, then opened wide when she realized who she was staring at: Yakushi Kabuto. The one who had betrayed them during the Chunin exams.

**Damn. He's kinda cute. Not the outward, obvious hotness Sasuke has, but he has a subtle attractiveness. I like. I like a lot.**

_He's the ENEMY!!_

**Well, he must have a good reason for being here or Tsunade would be asking us to help scrape him off the wall.**

_You're right, oh, looks like she's gonna say something._

* * *

Kabuto stood in the Hokage's office, having no trouble keeping a stoic look on his face. Years of being a double agent for Orochimaru had given him plenty of time to master being in control of his facial expressions. He stood next to the Uchiha, as the Hokage and Kakashi Hatake's eyes bored into them. The door suddenly swung open and a pink-haired girl came bursting in. Kabuto tuned out the exchange between her and Tsunade as he realized who it was: Sakura. Sakura, the girl who had awoken the feelings of loneliness in him and had prompted him to leave Orochimaru. As she looked first at the Uchiha, and then at Kabuo himself, Kabuto found himself struggling to keep a blush down: being a double agent didn't mean not having hormones, and he found Sakura to be pretty. Very pretty.

Kabuto's mind jerked back to reality when he heard the Hokage start speaking.

"So...Kabuto, is it? I understand that you are..." Tsunade began, peering over what Kabuto assumed was a file on him, "...a servant for Orochimaru."

"Um, well, not anymore..." Kabuto managed to force out. The looks the people in the room were giving him wasn't helping his already shaky sense of self-esteem. _Deserting your master does that to you_, he guessed.

"And we should believe that why?" The Hokage didn't seem too convinced. _After all, why should she?_

"I'll vouch for him," Sasuke said unexpectedly.

"I can see why you would, but he used to be a double agent, Sasuke. He effectively faked his life for more than 10 years, which, understandably, would give him little to no credit with anything he says to us," sighed the Hokage. She hated these difficult situations. "The guards who found you say you claim to have deserted Orochimaru. Is this true?"

"Yes," Kabuto stuttered. He was still pretty shaky after doing so. Understandable when you consider exactly who it was he had just deserted. The entire room looked at the Hokage questioningly as she began to chuckle.

"There's something about you this time, kid. Something that tells me you're telling the truth. Would you be willing to become a Konoha ninja, as well as give up all information you have regarding Orochimaru? I hope you understand that it's either that or execution."

Kabuto's eyes widened hopefully and he nodded, still keeping the stoic facial expression.

"I hoped you'd agree. However, it is protocol that we keep you under watch. You'll have 4 ANBU agents watching you at all times. We've heard of your medical prowess, so I'll think about assigning you to hospital-related duties. If, at any time, you do anything suspicious, expect to be executed at the discretion of your ANBU watchers. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do." Kabuto replied, shifting a little nervously.

"Well then, Sakura, I'm assigning you to be his caregiver...you know, show him around. Help him get acquainted. Assist the ANBU agents in his death if he tries anything." Tsunade added the last part with a chuckle, "You don't have to stick to him 24/7, but just look out for him. I will inform the village about him at once. Now, the lot of you get out of my office!" With a dismissive wave, Tsunade turned back to the papers on her desk.

* * *

**Oh, yes!! We get to look after the cute guy!**

_Oh, shut up! _Sakura's mental argument started just after she, Kabuto, and Sasuke had left the room.

"Welcome back, Sasuke," she said with a warm smile. Sasuke only smiled back and leapt out a window to wherever.

"That's so like him," Sakura giggled. She noticed Kabuto walking down the hallway, and she ran to catch up with him.

"Hi, I'm Sakura, if you don't remember," Sakura greeted him as she matched his pace.

"Oh...um, hi," he said back. Sakura could tell he was nervous.

"Well, ummm... where is Tsunade making you stay?"

"Oh, I had some money in the bank here and I bought a house with that. _He_ made sure I would have plenty of assets while I worked for him. All my belongings were in a safe deposit box, too" Sakura could tell who Kabuto meant with that "he" without asking.

"Well, if you need anything, try to find me. I'm pretty hard to miss," Sakura giggled, indicating her hair. She was delighted when Kabuto also chuckled. Or, rather, Inner Sakura was. They found themselves exiting Hokage tower at this point.

"I'll see you later then," Kabuto said as he began walking in what must have been his house's direction. He waved goodbye as he approached the corner, and Sakura waved back. They both flashed each other smiles as he turned the corner and was lost from view.

**Admit it. He's cute.**

_Well... yeah, I guess._ _He seems kinda stunned though._

**Well, duh. He just deserted Orochimaru. **

_Yeah..._

**I say we make a move. And fast.**

_NO!!_

**Well, he's cute, but how do you know we can trust him? Or that anyone can trust him, for that matter?**  
_Like the Hokage said, just a feeling that he's completely honest now. _Sakura smiled.

* * *

Kabuto walked on in silence, deep in thought.

_Look at my luck! An excuse to hang out with Sakura!_ Kabuto immediately shook himself. _No... the entire village is going to look down on me. And Sakura probably inwardly hates me for helping Orochimaru kidnap Sasuke in the first place._ He sighed one more time as he entered his house.

* * *

"What made you think you could trust that guy?" Kakashi asked incredulously a few minutes after Sasuke, Sakura, and Kabuto had left.

"Oh, just a feeling," replied the Hokage.

Kakashi noticed an open drawer on the Hokage's desk. Craning his neck, he looked to see what was in it. His eyes were met with 4 empty bottles of sake. Kakashi rolled his eyes and jumped out the window, Icha Icha Paradise book already out.

* * *

Well, that's Chaper 5. Like I promised, it's longer than all the others, and subsequent chapters will continue to be. If you think the formatting is ugly/bad, tell me. I can fix it(get rid of the spaces), albeit it being a pain in the ass to do. Until next time, goodbye, and don't forget to review!!


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